Kerry Packer walks past journalists at the Media and Gaming group Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd annual general meeting in Sydney, October 2001. Photograph: David Gray/Reuters

Developments in Australia suggest that traditional cricket and Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket, bitter and irreconcilable opponents for the last two years, could soon be working in harmony.

Although there is still much to be discussed, it seems likely that Mr Packer, who owns Channel 9 television station, will be given the exclusive rights for televising cricket in Australia. (It was his failure to secure those rights in the first place which created the deep division between the two sides.)

In return he is likely to disband World Series Cricket and buy up the contracts of the players in his circus. This means that WSC players should soon be available again for Test cricket and official tours.

However, Australian players would not be considered for the forthcoming World Cup in England in June - their squad has already been chosen - and it is possible that they would not be considered for India's tour of Australia this year.

What is suggested is that Packer will establish a company to explore the possibilities of sponsorship for cricket, advertising, players’ endorsement of cricket equipment, and other spin-offs. The profits from such enterprises would be shared equally with the Australian Cricket Board.

Night cricket, one of Packer’s most successful innovations, is likely to become a permanent part of the Australian game and it is possible that Sheffield Shield games, at present played over four days, and likely to be reduced to three, would be played under floodlights.

The Australian Board will discuss television rights next week. The rivals to Packer are the non-commercial ABC channel, which hold the rights at present and Channel 0-10, which belongs to the transport tycoon, Sir Reginald Ansett.

Bob Parish, the chairman of the board, said that there is so much still to be discussed that an agreement on the rights might not necessarily be announced next week.

A major problem in healing the breach could be the integration of WSC players into Test cricket. It would cause great bitterness if some of the players who have represented Australia, England and the West Indies recently were to be discarded for players who turned their backs on their countries in the first place.